Conservative groups bring bus tour to Hendersonville

Dan Yoder and his sons, Matthew, 7, and Amos, 4, get off the bus being used by The Heritage Foundation and the Family Research Council Action PAC for their nationwide Values Bus Tour as it made a stop at Mud Creek Baptist Church on Wednesday morning. The Yoder family, who live in Hendersonville, heard the tour was going to be at the church and stopped by to talk with representatives and tour the bus.

MIKE DIRKS/TIMES-NEWS

By Gary GlancyTimes-News Staff Writer

Published: Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 2:04 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 2:04 p.m.

Two of the nation's leading conservative think tanks and grass-roots political action groups made a stop in Hendersonville on Wednesday as part of a 10-month, nationwide tour aimed at rallying voters to “Save the American Dream.”

After traveling 10,000 miles across the eastern half of the U.S. since it began Jan. 19, the “Values Bus Tour” rolled into Mud Creek Baptist Church during a week-long visit through North Carolina, which tour organizers called a “tier-one” state in their efforts.

The tour is a joint effort between the Heritage Foundation — a public policy research institute with more than 710,000 members — and the Family Research Council — which seeks to advance “faith, family and freedom” in public policy and public opinion, with the goal of achieving national budget reform and regaining conservative moral values in Washington, D.C.

“We need change, and we need it fast,” said Harrill's friend, Al Jones, who, standing next to the bus outside the church, pointed inside to a group of children in day care, and added, “They're the ones who are going to suffer — my grandchildren.”

Harrill and Jones said they attended the event to meet Mark Meadows, one of eight Republican candidates vying for the 11th Congressional District seat. Another candidate, District Attorney Jeff Hunt, was also at the event to meet with both groups.

Meadows has been endorsed by the Family Research Council.

“He's been a friend of the council for 20-some years, so we were very excited when he and his wife decided to step forward and run, because we know him to be a very Godly man who gives to the community and works very hard on the values that he espouses,” said Connie Mackey, president of the Family Research Council Action Political Action Committee.

Mackey said the race for the District 11 seat currently held by Democrat Heath Shuler — who is not seeking re-election — is important because more strong conservatives are needed to change the direction in Washington.

“We were successful in 2010 to bring over a hundred new conservative members,” she said, “but we need more, and we need more senators — we've got to take the Senate — and if we want to make the change, we have to have more people like Mark Meadows at the helm to help us.”

The other Republican candidates in the 11th District are Spence Campbell, Susan Harris, Vance Patterson, Chris Petrella, Kenny West and Ethan Wingfield.

Another key focus for the bus tour is the recruitment of citizens to join the “Values Champion” program (iVoteValues.org), in which voters can search a national database for a list of conservative Christians who are either unregistered or who are registered and did not vote in the last election — with their contact information — and encourage them to vote.

”It's an outreach program,” Mackey said. “We're looking for people who are already registered who want to get into the Champion program, which, when they do, there it is — their friends, their neighbors who didn't vote in 2008.”

<p>Two of the nation's leading conservative think tanks and grass-roots political action groups made a stop in Hendersonville on Wednesday as part of a 10-month, nationwide tour aimed at rallying voters to “Save the American Dream.”</p><p>After traveling 10,000 miles across the eastern half of the U.S. since it began Jan. 19, the “Values Bus Tour” rolled into Mud Creek Baptist Church during a week-long visit through North Carolina, which tour organizers called a “tier-one” state in their efforts.</p><p>The tour is a joint effort between the Heritage Foundation — a public policy research institute with more than 710,000 members — and the Family Research Council — which seeks to advance “faith, family and freedom” in public policy and public opinion, with the goal of achieving national budget reform and regaining conservative moral values in Washington, D.C.</p><p>Hendersonville resident Francie Harrill said she supports “everything they stand for.”</p><p>“We are disgusted with the way things are now,” she said.</p><p>“We need change, and we need it fast,” said Harrill's friend, Al Jones, who, standing next to the bus outside the church, pointed inside to a group of children in day care, and added, “They're the ones who are going to suffer — my grandchildren.”</p><p>Harrill and Jones said they attended the event to meet Mark Meadows, one of eight Republican candidates vying for the 11th Congressional District seat. Another candidate, District Attorney Jeff Hunt, was also at the event to meet with both groups.</p><p>Meadows has been endorsed by the Family Research Council.</p><p>“He's been a friend of the council for 20-some years, so we were very excited when he and his wife decided to step forward and run, because we know him to be a very Godly man who gives to the community and works very hard on the values that he espouses,” said Connie Mackey, president of the Family Research Council Action Political Action Committee.</p><p>Mackey said the race for the District 11 seat currently held by Democrat Heath Shuler — who is not seeking re-election — is important because more strong conservatives are needed to change the direction in Washington.</p><p>“We were successful in 2010 to bring over a hundred new conservative members,” she said, “but we need more, and we need more senators — we've got to take the Senate — and if we want to make the change, we have to have more people like Mark Meadows at the helm to help us.”</p><p>The other Republican candidates in the 11th District are Spence Campbell, Susan Harris, Vance Patterson, Chris Petrella, Kenny West and Ethan Wingfield.</p><p>Another key focus for the bus tour is the recruitment of citizens to join the “Values Champion” program (iVoteValues.org), in which voters can search a national database for a list of conservative Christians who are either unregistered or who are registered and did not vote in the last election — with their contact information — and encourage them to vote.</p><p>”It's an outreach program,” Mackey said. “We're looking for people who are already registered who want to get into the Champion program, which, when they do, there it is — their friends, their neighbors who didn't vote in 2008.”</p><p>Reach Glancy at 828-694-7860 or gary.glancy@blueridgenow.com.</p>